Opening day: Success!

Well, this past Saturday was opening day of whitetail rifle season here in Vermont. I go hunting every year with my uncle, grandfather, cousin, and a friend. Prior to this year I had only taken one deer, a doe on youth day when I was maybe 13 or 14 (I am now 21). Despite my lack of good fortune, I spend countless hours in the woods during rifle and muzzleloading, usually only to end up pulling my grandfather's or uncle's deer.

Finally, my fortunes have changed. Around 10AM Saturday I heard something behind where I had been sitting since about 6:30. I turned, and watched a doe feed on some ferns for about an hour. Just before 11AM I stood up to get a better look (craning my neck was becoming painful) because I could no longer see the doe. Immediately I noticed the doe was still feeding and had not seen me. I knelt to try to get out of the glare of the sun, and continued watching the doe. Suddenly I noticed a second set of legs come over the hill behind the doe, but the head was down to the ground hidden from view. As soon as the second deer lifted it's head, I put the scope on the kill zone. I could immediately see that this was a buck I wanted to take. I took the shot within seconds of drawing on the target, and dropped him in his tracks at about 100 yards.
158lbs (field dressed). 8 pointer. Not bad for my first buck.
That's my Savage Model 11 in 7mm08 that I took him with using Federal Premium 140gr Nosler Partition factory ammunition.

JD: I am definitely doing some sort of mount with the rack, hoping to have a picture of me, my uncle, grandfather and cousin that we took in the woods with a disposable camera to go with it (as long as the picture comes out decent).

During rifle season only bucks are legal, except spike horns which are only legal youth weekend which is for hunters under 16. During archery we may take either, but no spike horns. The muzzleloading tag bought in a store is for a buck, still no spike horns, but there is also a doe tag lottery (allotted per WMU) in which I have been fortunate enough to be drawn the past few years. This year is the first year in a while that they have given out any doe tags for the area where I took this deer, just down the road from my house, and my grandfather is the only one who got one of those. I did get one for the area by my parents house though, so I will be hunting there for muzzleloading.

We all should be soo lucky! (I was)! I also harvested a large 6 point buck
muley (not counting brow tines) on my first day of hunting with a Win mdl
30-30. The "field dressing part of the experience" was not my favourite part
but I had witnessed the butchering of farm animals & knew what I was "in-
for" when that time came! That was over 30 years ago & when I kill a big-
game animal I give thanks on thanksgiving for them feeding my family thru
the tough winters we get! Even our dogs get their share of a kill by being
fed the heart & we eat the liver after being soaked in milk overnight to be
sliced up & fried with onions or served up "liver patty style" with mached
potatos & veggies "German style"!

To some, but it it can be too tough or "gamey" for most folks! Our beagles are
"way spoiled", but they deserve it! Especially Jethro, as he is the first dog to
get to accompany me when I hunt big game!